My Brother's Keeper
by blinktwice21
Summary: Munch didn't know what he younger brother was doing.  They hadn't spoken in years.  When he finds the destruction he left behind, Munch is ready to put his own blood behind bars.
1. Chapter 1

**Law and Order SVU has become a recent obsession of mine. My favorite character is John Munch, and I thought up this little story when I was enjoying one of the marathons on TV. I do not own any thing Law and Order just the character that I have created. Reviews are appreciated! Thanks for reading.**

The call came in right before Detective John Munch was supposed to clock out. He grunted, pulling on his jacket and hat, then followed his partner out to their squad car.

"What do we have this time?" Fin asked, pulling out into the street.

"A minor was found in the alley, beaten up pretty bad. She won't say much else. The manager of the place next door found her an hour ago. She had passed out, but the manager brought her back."

Fin pulled the car up to the store front, then the two men got out and walked through the convenience store door. They walked up to the counter, where a young Jewish man was standing, his back to the door.

"Where's the girl?" Munch asked, prompting the man to turn around.

"She's in the back office. Come with me," the man said, pulling a set of keys out of his pocket.

Fin and Munch followed through a set of doors, to another one, to which the man inserted a key to unlock it.

"I didn't want anyone finding her again. By the state of this girl, I think that a simple gust of wind would finish her," the man explained, when the detectives gave him a strange look.

The door opened, revealing a teenage girl, wrapped up in a blanket, sitting back in an office chair. She slowly raised her head, and the damage could be seen. There was a huge bruise across her face, her hair was wet and disheveled. Munch stepped in closer, trying to get a better look at the girl. But what he saw stopped him, dead in his tracks.

"Hey, Uncle John," the girl said hoarsely.


	2. Chapter 2

"Why didn't you call an ambulance?" Fin asked, questioning the manager, Yosef.

"The girl didn't want me to. She told me to call you guys instead, then would go when you and your partner showed up."

Munch hadn't come out of the back room when Fin took the manager aside. He had called for an ambulance, but other than that, didn't take his eyes off her. His demeanor was calm, but the panic was apparent from behind his dark glasses.

"Who did this to you, Danielle?"

She didn't speak for a moment, avoiding eye contact with her uncle. After a moment, she spoke, softly.

"I was late from coming home yesterday. I had to stay after school for a project, and didn't have time to call him. When I did get home, he was waiting for me."

Munch sighed, rubbing his permanently tired eyes. His younger brother Bernard had stopped talking to him after Danielle's mother died. He tried to maintain contact with his niece, after a couple years went by, the phone calls stopped. Munch now understood why.

The paramedics walked through the door, brushing past Munch to get to Danielle. They gently removed her from the chair and onto a stretcher. He didn't watch, staring down at his shoes.

"Can I ride with her?" he asked one of the medics.

"Sure."

Munch followed them out to the ambulance, stopping by the squad car where his partner was standing.

"She okay?" Fin asked, watching as the stretcher was pulled into the vehicle.

"I really don't know," Munch replied, not taking his eyes off the stretcher.

"What should I tell the capt'n?"

"That I'm going to the hospital with my niece, and to send someone out to look for Bernard Munch. I want that son of a bitch found."

Fin nodded, then got into the squad car as Munch went to get into the back of the ambulance. He sat next to the stretcher, where Danielle was laying with her eyes closed. Without the blanket, he could see what damage was done to his niece. There were dozens of bruises on her arms, along with a couple of burn marks. He gently placed his hand on top of hers, choking back the massive lump in his throat.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you all for the positive reviews! I love working on this story, and I'm glad you all enjoy reading it.**

After a couple hours, Danielle was finally placed in a room. X-rays revealed that she had two fractured ribs and a broken wrist, and second degree burns on her arms. Munch was sitting in the waiting room, trying to force down a bitter cup of tea when they wheeled her out.

"If you want to follow me, I'll take you both to her room," the nurse said, sharing the same tired look as Munch.

He rose, following the two down a hallway, then into a single room. The nurse helped her into the bed, slowing and gently. Munch watched as his nieces face distorted from the pain as she reached up to her chest.

"I'll be back in an hour to give you some more pain killers," the nurse said, before stepping out of the room.

Munch pulled a chair right up to the bed, and waited for Danielle to start talking. She sighed, and started the explanation.

"He was ready for me when I walked through the door, grabbing my wrists so I couldn't get away. He dragged me into the bedroom and threw me against the wall, then just started wailing on me from there. After about an hour, he left, taking the phone with him. The next time he came back, I was ready. I managed to get my arms around his neck long enough for him to pass out."

Danielle paused to catch her breath, the pain in her chest making it hard to speak.

"He hadn't fed me for over twelve hours, but I got as far as I could from the apartment."

"That's when you passed out," Munch said, trying to talk for her.

She nodded. They were both quiet, Danielle clearly exhausted from the days events. Munch didn't ask any more questions. Part of him didn't want to know what else his brother did to her. It was written all over her arms.


	4. Chapter 4

**I thought that you all would appreciate a longer chapter. Enjoy.**

Fin walked in, gently tapping his partner on the shoulder. Munch rose from the chair, only allowing them to walk as far away as the door.

"He wasn't at the apartment."

Munch didn't reply; he just glanced back at Danielle.

"Captain has a couple squads on the lookout for him. He said not to come back to the office, and requests that you take some personal time."

Munch nodded in reply, unable to take his eyes off his niece. The fact that the first reason the captain was suggesting to take time off because of his niece being beaten didn't set well with him.

"Why don't you take a break? Go home and get some fresh clothes. I can sit with her," Fin suggested.

"I appreciate it, but I'll be alright."

"Look John, I know it's been a long night. I'll take care of her."

Fin had to take another moment to stare down his partner, but Munch reluctantly agreed. Danielle had been asleep for an hour, and wasn't waking up anytime soon. He gathered up his things as Fin took his place in the chair. With one more glance at his niece, he walked out of the room.

* * *

><p>Danielle slept for another two hours until the nurse woke her to take pain medication. She was initially surprised to see Fin in the chair instead of her uncle, but soon became talkative with the detective.<p>

"Mom died a couple years ago. She had cancer, and the treatment drained our bank account. Dad had to work two jobs, and once I turned sixteen, he made me go out a look for one. Uncle John sent money, and for about a year, I managed to get it past my dad. Once he found out, I had to give him any money that came. I could never get in contact with my uncle, and the last time I saw him was at my mother's funeral."

Danielle paused, picking at a string on the thin bed linen.

"Once mom died, dad got really hostile. He'd come home from a double shift, always mad about something. I was always in the way when he went on his rages."

Fin sat back in the chair, face expressionless.

"Why didn't you report your father?"

Danielle smirked, "He liked to wave his gun in my face, and said that if I contacted my uncle, well, I'm sure you can guess. Dad liked to use scare tactics, and they worked. I was more than willing to take a punch in the mouth than have a bullet in my skull."

There was silence, as Danielle tried to readjust herself. Fin helped her prop up the pillows.

"Doesn't he see this all the time?"

Fin cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

"My parents never really talked about what my uncle did for a living, but his name was in the papers a couple of times, in articles about rapes and child abuse."

"It's a lot different when something l like this happens to a family member. Detectives don't sleep at night for that reason: they see all these things that human beings are capable of, and it comes full circle. I'll tell you one thing: your uncle and I have seen everything, and not once has he even winced. I have never seen your uncle this upset."

Danielle became slightly interested in her hospital bracelet, apparently having dropped the subject. Fin picked up on it.

"Do you need anything?"

She shook her head, sighing, leaning her head back on the pillows. Fin studied her face for a moment, surprised at how calm she was.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that."

Danielle smirked.

"If it gets my out of that house, then it was worth it."

* * *

><p>Munch came through the door to find his niece and partner in conversation. Danielle laughed at something that Fin had just said. Seeing a smile on her face made him crack his own. The two looked his way after a moment.<p>

"I brought you some clean clothes," Munch said, placing a duffle bag on the end of the bed.

"You went to the apartment?" Danielle asked, trying to sit up, a string of fear in her voice and terror in her brown eyes.

Munch put up his hand, looking at her from over his dark glasses, immediately stopping her from moving any further.

"Yeah," he paused, seeing the hint of panic in his niece's eyes. "Your father wasn't there."

Danielle sighed in relief, wincing.

"We're gonna get him. He's not going to hurt you anymore," Fin said, rising from the chair.

"I talked to your doctor. He's keeping you hear for another night, then you can go home," Munch paused, glancing at his partner. "With your father loose, you're not going back to that apartment. Mine's not safe either, especially if he was blocking you from communicating with me. One of the detectives, Olivia Benson, said you can stay with her until all this is resolved."

"I'm just meeting all your friends, huh?"

Munch lightly smiled, nodding.

Fin soon left, promising he would come back with real food instead of the "shit on a shingle" that the hospital was serving. After another dose of pain killers, Danielle was able to sit up and talk to her uncle without much trouble.

"I'm sorry about all this…" Danielle began to say, before her uncle silence her with that look again.

"Don't ever apologize for what someone else did to you. What your father did was not your fault."

Danielle nodded, "I know." She quickly changed the subject. "I remember when I was six, and had the chicken pox. Mom was working a double shift at the hospital, and dad was out of town. You stayed up with me during the night because the itching was so bad, and read every single Dr. Seuss book that I had." Danielle paused, smiling softly. "'I'm sorry to say so but, sadly, it's true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.' That man knew what he was talking about."

"'Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest. It's 98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.' There's still a chance for you," Munch said, winking.

Danielle tried not to laugh, as it brought a sharp pain in her chest. Munch never realized how much he had missed his niece over the years. He was always knee keep in investigations and office work, that she was just a thought in the back of her mind. But, when a girl around her age came into the station, abused or assaulted, Danielle popped in his mind. She was a smart kid, an advanced student, name always in the paper for being on honor roll. Munch always clipped it out and slipped it inside his desk, after making sure the other detectives knew about it.

* * *

><p>Fin came in later that night, with two bags of take out in hand.<p>

"I've been living off Jell-O for the past twenty-four hours. Solid food has never tasted so good," Danielle said, twirling lo-mein noodles around a plastic fork. "Thank you, Fin."

The detective smiled, nodding. "This is the first time I've seen your uncle even look at takeout food."

Munch stopped mid-scoop, before placing orange chicken in his mouth. Danielle laughed softly.

"Olivia and Elliot want to get your statement tomorrow. You'll be safe at the station house," Fin said, before eating a mouthful of beef. "After that, Liv is gonna take you back to her place, and keep bringing you back to the station. Until your father is apprehended, that's how it has to be."

"Does everyone get this special treatment?" Danielle asked, looking from Fin to her uncle.

"You're my family, and I can do whatever is necessary to make sure you don't get hurt anymore. It's coincidental that I work at a police station," Munch replied, tossing the empty take out container.

The three finished their meal, and shortly after, Fin left after telling his partner that he'd pick them up the next morning. Munch was required to leave the room as the nurse helped Danielle into the bath, giving him time to call and arrange for legal guardian papers to be written up.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, a nurse helped Danielle change into her clothes and placed a brace on her wrist. The swelling on her face had gone down considerably and only complained of slight pain in her chest. Munch was waiting outside her room with her bag, and the two walked out of the hospital. Fin was waiting outside with their car, and opened the door for Danielle. Munch drove the car to the station, where they remained for the rest of the day.

During that time, Danielle was sat down and questioned about her father by two other detectives that Munch introduced as Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler. They were friendly and used the same calm voices that everyone had been using in the past couple days. It was her ribs that were fractured, not her ears.

"Everyone keeps asking why I didn't call the police. It was something that I wanted to do every day, but when I wasn't at school, I was at home. My dad messed with my mind with that gun; I didn't want anyone to get hurt."

"Do you know where your father is now?" Olivia asked, gently touching her forearm.

Danielle shook her head, "No, I really don't. If he's not at the apartment, then he's at work. He's usually down at the docks, doing construction." She paused, sighing. "Please don't let my uncle find him first."

Olivia and Elliot exchanged looks. "We won't. Your uncle has been taken off the case. His job is to keep you safe."

Danielle nodded. After a couple more basic questions, she went back into the main office area. Munch set her own at his desk, setting a cup of coffee down in front of her.

"Black, huh?" Fin asked, leaning across the space between their desks.

"Yeah, I don't go for that double whip, no frap stuff," Danielle replied, before taking a sip of the dark liquid.

Fin laughed, "I like this kid."

"Yeah," Munch said, smiling, gently touching her shoulder. "Me too."

After a while, Munch took his niece to the couch upstairs to lay down. She remained there until Olivia came up to wake her later that night. The moment she touched her arm, Danielle jumped, panicked.

"It's just me," Olivia said, surprised, trying to calm the girl down.

'Sorry…" Danielle said, embarrassed.

Olivia helped Danielle off the couch, following her downstairs. She then ushered Danielle out to her car, after Munch gave her a cell phone and all the possible numbers would need if anything were to happen. He remain in the station as they left, watching from the window.

"How are you feeling?" Olivia asked, pulling away from the curb.

"My chest hurts, but I'm alright," Danielle replied, staring out the window.

They were quiet until they reached the apartment, where Olivia quickly got her inside. She set Danielle up in the guest room, then went into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. Danielle came out of the room and sat down at the kitchen table, quiet.

"Are you hungry?"

Danielle shook her head.

"You have to eat. I know this is difficult, and that you'd much rather be with your uncle than a complete stranger. We can't take any chances of your father finding you alone." Olivia paused, taking a seat opposite Danielle. "I've worked with your uncle for years. He's seen probably the most horrific scene and doesn't so much as flinch. He came back to the station house when Fin was with you, sat down at his desk, and completely broke down."

Danielle was quiet, her eyes on her lap.

"My grandfather beat him and my dad when they were kids. I know that it's not uncommon for that to be carried down through the next generation." Olivia nodded. "I'm not sorry for what happened. I'm almost glad he beat me. It got me away from him, for good."

Olivia sat her up in the guest bedroom, where Danielle attempted to sleep. The chest pain was partly due to it, but the images of her father, waving the gun over her head was causing the insomnia. She stared at the ceiling. She didn't remember when she did fall asleep, or what happened to make her wake up, screaming. The door flew open and lights flooded the room, Olivia standing in the door with her gun raised. When he saw that no one was in the room, she lowered it.

"Are you okay?" Olivia asked softly, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Danielle nodded, trying to catch her breath. "I just had a nightmare."

* * *

><p>"I remember when Danielle was born. Bernard was out of town. Back then, he had this big wig business career. Maria called and asked if I would come down to the hospital. I got there right after she was born. Danielle wouldn't stop fussing, and Maria needed to get some rest. The nurse let me take her and sit in the nursery. After a couple minutes, she calmed down, smiled even."<p>

Munch was quiet, starting down at his desk. Elliot watched as the detectives normally straight face distorted. He pounded the desk with his fist, then leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face, hiding the tears in his eyes.

"It's not your fault, John."

Much didn't reply at first, remaining behind his hands. "I should have seen it: my brother and I were abused, he kept me away from Danielle, he never called…and then I find her beaten and broken by her own father." He paused. "I'm her only living relative. I'm barely home as it is. How am I supposed to take care of a kid?"

"That's the thing, John. She's not a kid. Danielle is a teenager, almost an adult, one who has been through a major ordeal and who has managed to come out of it without much problem. She's a good, smart kid. She won't need a cop tailing her once her father's in prison."

Elliot paused to take a breath. "What she needs right now is a man in her life who she can come home to and know she won't be hurt."

Munch nodded, rising from his desk. "Thanks, Elliot."

The detective smiled, nodding. "Things can only get better, right?"


	6. Chapter 6

Danielle remained under police protection for a couple weeks, spending her days at the station house, watching as uniforms officers and detectives hurried around through their long work days. When he had spare time, Munch sat with his niece, trying to make up for the lost years.

"Dad lost his job right after mom died. He had a couple outbursts at work. At first, his boss was sympathetic. After a couple weeks, he kept getting out of hand."

"And here I was, thinking that everything was okay with you two."

Danielle shook her head, "It's not your fault, Uncle John. "

Munch sighed, "Still. I should have been checking on in you two."

"Dad kept the phones unplugged during the day. I see how busy you are here. It's not your fault."

"Don't let all it fool you. They always put my on phone duty anyway."

A few moments later, Fin came running up the stairs, face anxious.

"They found your father. He was passed out in the back of his car."

Munch looked to his niece, whose face had paled and hands began to shake. Fin took noticed of it.

"He's in lock-up, Danielle. He can't hurt you."

She nodded, silent, staring down at the floor. Munch stood, walking over to his partner.

"You're serious?" His partner nodded. Munch sighed, looked to Danielle, then back to Fin. "Stay with her. I'm going to pay my brother a visit."

* * *

><p>Munch stood on the opposite side of the steel bars, watching as his brother tried to stand up. Bernard was a mess, to say the least: his clothes were torn and stained, faced unshaven, and had a black eye.<p>

"Johnny, how you doing?"

Munch stood there, staring down his brother. "Shouldn't you be more concerned about how your daughter is doing?"

"You don't think I don't know where she is? Big bad Detective Johnny Munch, always looking out of the used and abused. I knew she would go running to you." Bernard spit on the ground, and then wiped his face on his ripped shirt sleeve. "She always liked you more."

"I didn't crack her ribs with my fists. She's a good judge of character."

"Always have a comeback, don't you? You can have the little bitch. She ain't no good to me."

It took every ounce not to grab Bernard throat and strangle him right there. Instead, Munch just stood there, with that cold look in his eyes. "I guess Dad had more of an influence over you than I thought. I would have hoped that you learned more from him, other than how to take out your anger."

Munch turned to leave, even after Bernard started to shout: "He beat you too, Johnny. It's only a matter of time."


	7. Chapter 7

Munch ushered his niece into the court room, refusing to even glance at his brother. Danielle kept her eyes on the floor, her heart pounding in her ears. The case was introduced, then Danielle was asked to step into the witness stand.

"What happened the night that you were found in the alley way, Miss Munch?"

Danielle told her story for what she hoped to be the last time. Her voice shook and did everything not to look at her father. When she did look up, her glance went to her uncle. He tried to look encouraging, but was doing everything in his power not to bound across the room and beat his brother to a pulp.

"I came out of it with two fractured ribs and a broken wrist. He hadn't fed me for a day or so, which is why I passed out. I've been having nightmares every night ever since, waking up crying hysterically…" Danielle paused, trying to swallow down the massive lump in her throat.

"That's all," the DA said, taking her seat.

The other lawyer rose, slowly sauntering over to the witness stand.

"What was your relationship like with your father prior to that night?"

"Until my mom died, it was a normal family relationship. After, he had become a little less stable. He got really strict about when I came home from school. He wouldn't let me contact anyone, and basically put me under house arrest. It wasn't until recently that the abuse stared."

"You seem to be an intelligent girl. Why didn't you try to contact anyone while you were at school, or talk to one of your teachers?"

Danielle was very sick of this question. "Would you talk very freely if a gun was waved in your face every night, promising a bullet to the head if I told anyone he was beating me up at night?"

"There was no gun found at the apartment. Were you aware of this?"

"No, I wasn't. That doesn't mean anything."

Munch shifted in his seat, glancing over to his partner.

"She's going to have a mental breakdown," Fin whispered. Munch didn't reply.

Before that could happen, Danielle was allowed to step down. After a short recess, the jury came back to give their verdict: guilty on all charges. Bernard was ushered away, the only time that Danielle glanced over to her father. He was staring right at her, a crazy look in his eyes, not taking his eyes off her daughter as the security guards dragged him out of the court room.

The DA shook Danielle's hand, then followed her to greet her uncle and partner. Munch took her around the shoulders, leading her out of the court room. He pulled a folded piece of paper out his suit pocket, then handed it to his niece. She unfolded it, read the heading, looked up at her uncle, and smiled.

**That's it, guys. I've written some other material with Munch and Danielle. I'm going to try and put some more stories with them together. Thank for reading!**


End file.
